Mount Pleasant town leaders unveil new ideas for managing growth

Town leaders in Mount Pleasant unveiled new ideas on Tuesday for how to manage their community, which is one of the fastest growing in the nation.

Mayor Linda Page announced she wants to do away with development incentives, called bonus density allowances.

These were put in place years ago, when the economy wasn't as good and Mount Pleasant was trying to attract new residents and developers.

"Developers want to come here, people want to live here and now we have to protect quality of life," said Page.

Page says they've been working on this proposal for over a year, and have been getting community feedback along the way.

"We've been hearing over and over that they want change," said Page.

Big developments, like The Boulevard that was finished last year, have brought in a lot of new residents to Mount Pleasant.

It's developers benefited from bonus density allowances. Builders got breaks for including commercial space, as well as affordable housing for people who work in the area.

But now, Page wants to make sure they stay in balance, and that their schools, roads and green space fit the size of their community.

Developers won't just face losing incentives. the town is also considering increasing how much they ask developers to help pay for road improvements.

"We want to make sure that development pays for development," said Page.

Improving and expanding the recreational land in Mount Pleasant is also something that's part of this growth management plan. They say adding bathrooms, walking trails and piers around the recreational areas they already have will improve the quality of life.

Page says they'll consider increasing taxes to pay for upgrades to areas like Shem Creek Park, the old Pitt Street Bridge and Rifle Range. They'll also considering buy new land for recreational purposes if that's something their taxpayers are interested in.

"We're listening to the citizens, we are working together to create a great community," said Page.

The Planning Committee will review these proposed ordinances at their meeting Wednesday.

They'll be gathering community input throughout the process and the plans could be finalized as soon as May.